Chevron Use Solar Energy To Help Extract Heavy Oil

Chevron Use Solar Energy to Help Extract Heavy Oil

Heavy oil accounts for a large portion of new oil being produced around the world today. It is known as heavy oil due to its high viscosity which makes it difficult to extract. Steam is usually pumped underground at high temperatures to heat up the oil and improve its liquidity to make it easier to pump to the surface. The steam is generally produced by burning natural gas to heat water. At the Coalinga oil field in California, Chevron has decided to try and use solar energy to heat the water in an attempt to reduce the reliance on natural gas.…